After the armpits, the bikini area is the most difficult to treat when it comes to grooming unwanted hair in this. Regardless of how difficult it is to reach the curves between your thighs and vaginal region, it is essential to remove the bikini hair to look neat and well-groomed.
In addition to appearance, bikini hair removal also helps in keeping your sensitive parts hygienic and sweat-free in summer. Among several methods of hair removal, laser hair removal grabs attention as it helps in getting the burden of shaving or waxing the difficult-to-reach areas off your shoulders.
However, bikini lines are also delicate. So, questions like Is bikini hair removal safe or is bikini hair removal dangerous, and what are the risks of laser hair removal on bikini areas arise. To help you in this regard, we have an explanation about the 10 not-so-common but potential side effects of laser hair here.
Thus, let us see what is to come with laser hair removal on the bikini lines.
Laser Hair Removal in Bikini Area
The clinician in laser hair removal salons, first of all, prepares the skin by applying anesthetic and analgesic gel on the sensitive parts. Then you have to get in a proper position so that the hidden areas are revealed. After that laser is flashed with the help of a laser machine.
These flashes of laser beams find their way to the hair follicles by getting absorbed in the pigment of the hair. At the roots, the beams are transformed into heated energy which destroys the hair follicles. Consequently, they become incapable of generating new hair cells and your bikini lines become smooth and clear.
Also, bikini lines involve the area at the junction of the inner thighs with the vagina. Laser hair removal on this area might remove only a strip of hair or it can be extensive removing hair on the lateral sides of the labia along with the hair around the anal region. So, consult your doctor about the extent of laser hair removal on the bikini areas that you want.
10 Side Effects of Laser Hair Removal on Bikini Area
One thing you must know before getting into the details of the side effects of laser is that these side effects do not harm everyone. Rather, they are limited to a few women or some sections of sensitive skin. However, the chances of having any of these side effects are there when you are not following the protocol of laser properly.
1. Temporary and Mild effects on the Skin
The Bikini area is a sensitive area to be treated with laser. During laser hair removal sessions, most women feel a painful sensation which might be mild, moderate, or swear. Also, the character of this pain varies between burning and tingling. The pain subsides as soon as you are done with the session.
After the pain, you would see your skin turning red and becoming itchy or irritated. This condition is aggravated in the sunlight and goes away when you let your skin take a break or apply a soothing gel to it.
2. Changes in the Pigmentation of Skin
The laser beams are absorbed into the pigments without discrimination between the pigment of hair or the skin. Normally, hair has a greater amount of darkness making laser target only hair cells. However, some of the rays might get absorbed into the melanocytes of the skin.
These rays alter melanin production in a way that it increases in people with light skin tones and decreases in people with dark skin tones. So, uneven areas of hypo or hyperpigmentation form.
This makes women conscious while going to the beach as the bikini area is visible from the swimsuit. However, it subsides in a few weeks or months when new melanocytes begin to regulate melanin production.
3. Blistering, Crusting, and Scars
Unlike the full body, you do not apply moisturizer to your bikini lines and vagina like many of us, right? Well, the laser is known to burn water, skin oils, and moisture in the skin as well. So, it will cause your intimate area lines to dry out. The dryness along with the heat leads to the formation of flakes or blisters.
When the blisters are healing, crusts or scars develop. The formation of these is associated with repetitive touches or scratches on the blisters. So, you should consult a doctor for the treatment and avoid any friction in such areas.
4. Skin Burns
Mild to moderate burns of laser hair removal only form blisters. However, if the intensity of heat in laser hair removal treatment is not well controlled, it can lead to severe burns in the bikini area.
These burns require intensive medical treatment including fluids, analgesics, and anti-biotics, and can take a month or more for complete healing. To know more about the treatment, consult how to avoid and treat laser burns .
5. Changes in the Texture of the Skin
Although most side effects of laser hair removal even the severe ones are treatable, some of them may cause long-lasting changes in the skin texture. This happens when an optimal treatment is not received in case of developing blisters, crusts, dehydration, or laser burns.
6. Risk of Infections
It is mandatory to refer to a salon that offers high-quality services in a hygienic environment because the bikini area lies in close association with the vagina. So, cheap services can make you prone to infections, especially that of herpes simplex. It also leads to the formation of cold sores.
7. Adverse effects on Vagina
Although Bikini laser hair removal involves the whole vagina as does Brazilian hair removal, it works very close to the vagina and on the labia if you prefer. To know more about the differences between both, check out
bikini vs Brazilian hair removal.
Laser hair removal can cause vaginal dryness, friction, inflammation, painful intercourse, and even vulvovaginal atrophy in rare cases.
8. Difficult for People with Hormonal Disorders
People with PCOS, hirsutism, or other hormonal disorders where there is thick hair growth might get disappointed with laser hair removal on bikini lines. It is because a large number of sessions are required in such people and hair may begin to regrowth within a few months.
Also, long-term sessions of the laser make the skin prone to other risks of laser hair removal in bikini areas.
9. Photosensitivity
Although bikini lines remain concealed by clothing items normally, it is one of the most exposed areas to the sun during pool parties and beach tours. Also, Laser hair removal on bikini lines sensitizes the skin to light and radiations including UV rays and bright intensity indoor lights.
Furthermore, you can check the details about the truth about sun exposure and sun exposure.
10. Skin Inflammation
Lastly, the laser can cause skin swelling and inflammation immediately after the treatment and takes a few days to resolve. In these cases, contact with nearby areas or clothes can make the inflammation worse.
FAQs
1. Is Laser Hair Removal Dangerous for Bikini Area?
No, laser hair removal is not at all dangerous for bikini areas just like any other part of the body. It is an FDA-cleared process for long-lasting hair removal and proper measures are taken to protect the skin from any harm if you are getting treated at a good clinic.
However, there are certain cases like pregnancy where the safety of laser has not yet been experimented with. In these cases, laser, especially on the bikini areas which lie near the uterus might be dangerous for the growing baby. So, it is best to delay your treatment till delivery.
2. What are the Risks of Laser Hair Removal in the Bikini Area?
The risks of laser hair removal in the bikini area include excess absorption of laser beams in dark or tanned skin, aggravation of allergies in sensitive skin, skin burns in sun-exposed skin, and infection when measures of sterilization are not taken.
Moreover, there are risks of the development of post-laser redness, irritation, or blisters, scars, and crusts if the skin is not protected from the sun and moisturized well.
3. Is Bikini Line Laser Hair Removal Safe?
Yes, laser hair removal on the bikini line is a safe procedure. It has some side effects which can be avoided and treated within a few days. While they make you concerned, most of these side effects are not long-lasting.
However, make sure you research well about the clinic and the laser you are getting treated with so that the procedure does no harm to your delicate area.
4. How to Avoid Side Effects of Laser Hair Removal on Bikini Areas?
There are some dos and don’ts of laser hair removal which should be done before and after your treatment to avoid the side effects of laser hair removal on bikini areas. These include staying away from sun rays, artificial tanners, chemical-rich cosmetics, active skin care products, hot showers, waxing,
Furthermore, you can know about the details of these safety measures in what to do and not to do after laser hair removal .
5. Which Other Method can be Used for Long-lasting hair Removal on the Bikini Lines?
If you want to avoid laser hair removal on your bikini areas for any reason like the expensive price, breach of privacy, shortage of time, or more. Get a laser at your home with a
Ulike Sapphire Air3 IPL hair removal handset
. It allows you to treat your bikini areas within 2 minutes in its comfort mode which is gentle on the skin.
Additionally, it prevents side effects of professional laser including burning pain during the session, redness, inflammation, photosensitivity, etc. If you want a few more recommendations for your sensitive skin, give the best 7 at-home laser hair removal devices for sensitive skin .
The Final Verdict
While laser hair removal is a safe FDA-cleared method of long-lasting hair removal on the body including bikini lines, it might not be for everyone as there are risks of developing side effects. We talked about those in detail in this article.
Also, we want you to be clear that those effects are transient and can be easily treated at home or by a physician.
